Man On Fire Revisited

   Things (mainly my face) are about to get ugly. Again.
   Last night, I began another three-week series of Efudex treatments on my face. I kind of chronicled my first run of treatment with Efudex a couple of years ago and referred to it as a "Man On Fire" because Efudex is a topical chemotherapy cream which essentially burns away skin cells. The skin cells we're aiming for are pre-cancerous ones (which is good) but the treatment also does a bit of a number on ALL the skin cells it touches (which is bad) so the end result is somewhat akin to a nasty sunburn.

It's you 'n' me, Eff You Dex, just you 'n' me.....

   My original treatment was not nearly as bad as I was led to believe it could have been and this time around we're only talking about two or three tiny little spots I need to treat so no big deal. More of a pain in the....face...I guess!
   The last time around, I chronicled the experience pretty extensively (with pics, even!) and if you're at all interested in close-ups of my ugly mug with even uglier red spots on it you can go back to September of 2013 on the Blog Archive (scroll down the right hand side if this page) and click on it. Religious scrolling will then take you to a whole series of blog posts on the subject. Or you could just go cut the grass, instead! And, if you're a friend of mine who actually occasionally sees me in person and is wondering what the tiny blotches are, well, now you know! Cheers!

Man On Fire: A Supportive Wife and A New Hat

   A couple of nights ago, as Doralyn and I were just hunkering down under the covers at bedtime, she finished reading my previous "Man On Fire" post, the "Vampire" one. She got to the part where I was promising faithfully to start wearing a broad-rimmed hat from here on in when I was out in the sun. She kind of grunted and commented, "I'll believe it when I see it."
   In reply, I made some joking comment about how nice it was, having a supportive wife like that.
   To her credit, she then went on to remind me of all the times she had been supportive and had almost begged me to buy and start wearing a different hat. She offered to buy me one many different times when we were out and about and saw them for sale somewhere. She has also reminded me constantly to wear sunscreen.

Doralyn

   It is not without a little bit of history that she is this supportive; eleven years ago, almost to the day of our bedtime conversation, her father passed away from skin cancer. Having to have lived through watching someone you love pass away from the ravages of this particular disease  would only make you that much more wary and vigilant with the rest of your loved ones. As much as she pesters me about the sun, you should hear rag on the boys!
   I have always been blessed with Doralyn's support, in all parts of my life. It matters not whether it's physical or emotional support--she is there, like a rock. Because of this, it is my fervent desire to always be there for her! And all five of our boys!
   And that is why I will be buying a new hat!
  
     

Man On Fire: The Vampire In Me

   As part of this ongoing Efudex treatment I am currently in the middle of, one of the things my dermatologist has told me is that I should avoid direct sunlight.
   I guess this sort of makes sense, when you're talking about an area of skin which is slowly being stripped of its protective covering then keeping it out of the sun seems like a really good idea.

   What I have found is that it's a little tricky avoiding direct sunlight. Almost impossible, actually, short of carrying around a Hallowe'en mask or some frilly little parasol. What I do know is that you are definitely very aware of whether you're in the sun or not when you've been on Efudex for a few days. As I mentioned in a previous post, the sensation is almost exactly the same as a bad sunburn and we all know how it feels walking around in the sun when you already have a nasty burn.

A vampire fries---not for ME, thanks!

   So now I am even more conscious of the sun than I was before. I am vampire-conscious of the sun, in fact! I have seen way too many B-movies where the lords of the undead either melted in the sun, sizzled in the sun or simply exploded in the sun as they found themselves trapped beneath its solar rays. Not for me!
   I do now find myself thinking back to how I ended up in this uncomfortable situation. I believe the biggest part of my mistake was thinking that a ball cap was protecting my entire head from the harmful effects of the sun. I am quite religious about carrying head protection around with me (just in case) and I wear a cap even if I'm just walking down to the corner.
   The problem, however, is that a ball cap will cover the top of your head nicely and keep the sun out of your eyes but that's about it.
   Over the years, in retrospect, I think my weekly game of golf has been the biggest culprit. I can't tell you how many times I would get back from an hour and a half of golfing with a bit of a ruddy glow on my cheeks and chest, where my shirt falls open. I never considered myself having been burned by the sun but the cumulative effect now has me where I am.
   Stupid me! It's not like I didn't know the sun was dangerous! But I have still gone out and done an inadequate job of protecting myself and this must change.


Hmm...this Tilley cap seems to be shading
not only ME but part of the boat as well!

   I will be getting a new hat, and wearing it for any protracted stays out in the sunshine. No more golfing with just a ball cap on! The new hat will have a broader rim which will go all the way around, something like the one to the right. No more of the standard (and way cooler) golfing ball cap, pictured below.


Shades my eyes---not my face!

   More sunscreen than I normally apply will be the order of the day, as well. And not just the head and face will get it!
   Obviously, this has all been a bit of a wake-up call for me and I'm hoping that it will resonate a little with anyone reading or hearing about it. I can't say that I am particularly worried about it right at the moment but that's not to say that it isn't worrisome!